Fave Librarians!

Some people have a favorite     Others have a favorite pair of slippers.
number.

Here, at the Class of 2k8, we have our...

favorite librarians!

Okay, guys, it's your chance to share.

M.P. Barker is waving her hand madly. Yes, we see you. Yes, you can go first M.P.

Thanks! I grew up in Chicopee, Massachusetts, and I remember going to the Aldenville Branch Library once a week (at least!)—one person could check out only four books at a time, so we went back often. There was always a summer reading contest with a free movie at the Rivoli Theater for readers who reached their quota, and I remember what a sense of accomplishment it was to see my marker go around the map or chart or whatever record-keeping scheme they had that year (and how disappointed I was the year they decided to stop doing the movie and just gave out prizes instead).

It was a teeny tiny storefront library, and the librarians were just great. The kids’ section was at the front, and the adults’ section was at the back, and always seemed sort of like a forbidden city. OOOHHH, to some day be grown-up enough to check books out from that section!!

But of all the librarians I’ve known, I didn’t meet my absolute favorite one until I was all grown up. That’s my boss, Maggie Humberston, who’s the head of the Genealogy and Local History Library and Archives at the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum in springfield, MA. And I’m not saying that just because she brings me chocolate, either. She’s unfailingly patient cheerful, goes wa-a-a-ay beyond the extra mile to help our researchers, and has a magic gift for dealing with the…um…eccentrics. You know how most people would like to kill their bosses? Well, Maggie is the kind of boss that I would kill FOR. Some day I hope I can be as good a person as she is…but it’s not likely!

Librarian Maggie Humberston & M.P. Barker, debut author of the historical young-adult A DIFFICULT BOY

And, at the back of the class,Elizabeth C. Bunce, debut author of the young-adult fantasy A CURSE DARK AS GOLD, is holding up a photo of the library where her favorite librarian used to work.



Okay, Elizabeth. We've thrown up the photo. Now tell us about your favorite librarian.

When I was growing up, our local children's librarian was my best friend's mom. She used to let me read the new books before they went on the shelf! I still remember the horror my brother and I felt when we got toothpaste on a brand-new copy of Tamora Pierce's ALANNA: THE FIRST ADVENTURE (that book is still in the library, toothpaste stain and all!). I was lucky enough to have my launch for A CURSE DARK AS GOLD back at my hometown library, and it was so neat to have Mrs. Elbert there to celebrate with us. She's retired now, of course, but I'll always think of her as my personal librarian.




And we leave you with this delightful quotation sent to us by Brenda Eley, Librarian, Beckman High School, Irvine, California:

"Books may well be the only true magic."~~Alice Hoffman

Shameless Self Promotion Saturday!

Sale!

Daphne Grab announces her second sale!

The Wonder Years meets Dairy Queen in HALFTIME a Middle Grade novel about a twelve year old football fanatic who doesn't actually play the sport until his long lost half-brother, and the best college football player in the league, shows up in time for middle school team tryouts, tackling bullies, and talking to girls.

Reviews

Terri Clark has a new novella on stores shelves in the YA anthology BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO with Ellen Hopkins, Lynda Sandoval and Niki Burnham. Kirkus said this “box of candy for the lovelorn satisfies” and Book Chic called Terri’s story “an extremely hilarious paranormal story that has a very awesome girl power message." For Book Chic’s review, plus exclusive mini-interviews with the authors, visit here.

The School Library Journal gave our own M.P. Barker a thumb’s up for A DIFFICULT BOY saying, “Like L. M. Elliott's Give Me Liberty (HarperCollins, 2006), this is an eye-opening look at indentured servitude in American history." Click here to read it.

The Compulsive Reader loves Daphne Grab's ALIVE AND WELL IN PRAGUE, NEW YORK. “Smooth, empathetic writing will easily reel in readers by the hordes as she artfully portrays the hurt of everyone knowing your business in a small town, and the joy of true friends.” Witness the gushing here.

Abby the Librarian said Elizabeth C. Bunce’s A CURSE DARK AS GOLD “is a book to lose yourself in, a deep story you can really sink your teeth in.” Give it a look-see.

Julie M. Prince of YABooksCentral had this to say about Sarah Prineas’ THE MAGIC THIEF, “I didn’t leave my house from the time I started the book until I finished it the next day.” Check out the rave review in its entirety!

Biz Buzz

Marissa Doyle's BEWITCHING SEASON, Sarah Prineas's THE MAGIC THIEF and Liz Gallagher's THE OPPOSITE OF INVISIBLE have been named to the Spring 2008 New Voices Pick list of the Association of Booksellers for Children. The list of 20 books will be printed in a brochure and sent to Association member bookstores in June.

They like us, they really like us!!!

All over the kidlitosphere, folks are hearing about the Class of 2k8 and taking note.

Of course, we couldn't be more thrilled. Just today we noticed that Teen Book Review, and The Reading Zone have linked us!

Elsewhere in blogland, Miss Erin has amazing things to say about our very own Elizabeth C. Bunce's A Curse Dark as Gold. And it isn't even out for months yet...

Yay!